This invention relates to a portable thermal label printer employing an optical reader and more particularly to a portable thermal label printer which has improved portability and operability while various articles of freight are being handled.
With conventional portable thermal label printers in use at supermarkets and other such retail outlets, the whole printer is held in the hand and is used like a hammer in order to have the printed labels peeled off and applied to the merchandise.
At retail outlets, individual items of merchandise are not large. Therefore, such printers can be used while manipulating the merchandise, even if the printer is somewhat heavy. However, in the freight business where various articles of freight and boxes have to be handled, there has been a need for a thermal label printer which is light and easy to use. It is of course also desireable that thermal label printers in use at retailers have better portability and operability.
Because of the weight of the batteries used for driving its many parts and components, it has heretofore been hard to create a portable thermal label printer which could be used while being hand-held, yet which is light and has good operability.
Further, label printer/applicators commonly referred to as hand labelers are designed with the thermal label roll to be positioned at the top of the labeler. This however, led to problems as illustrated in the prior art shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The thermal label strip T which is paid out from thermal label roll R is printed between a thermal print head 20 and a platen 21. At bending pin 16, the backing sheet S is redirected so that label L is discharged from the printer unit. The backing sheet S is moved by engagement with the conveyor roller 19 and is discharged from the rear of the unit. The thermal print head 20 is driven and controlled by a control circuit 26 which is connected to a battery 27. The thermal label strip T must cross a flat cable C, which when used to connect the control circuit 26 with the thermal print head 20, forms an intersection K. One solution is to divide the flat cable C so that it goes to the left and right of the thermal label strip T. Such a structure has required that the printer be designed so that the thermal label printer becomes larger or heavier.